Combined educational and game board



20,1926. y 11,581,178 April H. G. 'CRESS GOIIBINED EDUCATIONL AND GAME BOARD Filed Sept'. '8, 1925` I 2 Sheets-Sheet l l l i l l lllll 4 lllllllllllllll'lllulllf. 11111111111 n n w11 a u f Nvenvon Hon/ww Crress,

April zo, 1926,

H. G. CHESS COMBINED EDUCATIONAL AND GAME BOARD 2 sheets-sheet '2 Filed Sept. 8, 1925 ...w uw

Il mn, I IMI* \1 'iii l II Patented y pr. 20, 19525.

UNITED STATES HORATIO Gr. CRESS, OF TROY, OItIO, ASSGNOR TO THE EI. Gr.

cnnss COMPANY, or TROY,

OHIO, A CORPORATION 0F OHIO.

COMBINED EDUGATONAL AND BOARD.

Application filed September To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HonATro G'. Gauss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Troy, in the county of Miami and State of Ohio, have invented certain new vand useful improvements in Combined Educational and Game Boards, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to combined educational and game boards and to method of making such boards.

Boards of this character have on one side a smooth uninterrupted surface which may be utilized for a game and on the opposite side a plurality of surfaces in the same general plane with passageways therebetween to receive a set of movable buttons adaptedr to be positioned in various order therein, the buttons having thereon let-ters of the alphabet or numerals or any desired matter. rihe passageways between the several sections comprise what is termed a storage passageway for the general supply of buttons and a transverse or working passageway in which certain buttons are moved, as for spelling a word.

The first branch of my invention consists in the article composed 0f sections made up of sheetsof :fiber board laminated vor united together to afford thickness and strength and each board before being assembled is cut into the desired shape and size so that the article when linished will be constructed of superimposed layers or thicknesses, each fashioned or out to perform its function, as will be hereinafter pointed out in detail.

A further feature of the article is the provision, and it is an important one, of a means for draining or'discharging from the grooves or passageways in the article that part of the hardening solution, presently referred to,

`which enters such grooves or passageways and where otherwise it would lodge and prevent completing the article in a proper manner.

The second branch of my invention consists in fabricating the article by means of the following essential steps; first, in cutting or stamping out liber board of the right shape and size for one outer layer or surface; second, in likewise fashioning several pieces of liber board of the right shape and size to constitute collectively the other outer layer or surface; third, in likewise fashion- 8, 1925. Serial No. 54,903.

- ing other pieces of fiber board of the right size and shape to constitute the inner thickness or thicknesses; fourth, in assembling the different layers to form a plurality of separate sections and uniting said layers ao by a suit-able adhesive; fifth, in assembling some of said separate sections and applying to the exposed surfaces thereof a hardening solution, as by immersing the sections thus assembled in such hardening solution, for the purpose of stii'feningor hardening the fiber board to give it rigidity, durability and more or less finish; sixth, in draining any surplus solution lfrom the assembled units; and, iinally, in placing another of the separate sections in position to form a lock to retain a plurality of movable buttons in the board.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. l is a plan view of my improved board, showing the filler layers in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation looking in the direction of the arrows indicated on the line 2 2 at the right of Fig. l

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4: comprises a series of views illustrating the buttons used in connection with my improved board;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the base layer;

Fig. @shows a series of the filler layer to be secured to the base layer;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the .top layer to be placed above the filler, shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the upper layer of one of the top sections;

Fig. 9 shows a series of the filler the top shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the top layer of the locking section;

Fig. ll shows a series of the filler layers for the locking section; and

Fig. 12 is a sectional view of a container for the hardening solution, showing one of 100 the articles suspended therein.

From the drawings it will be seen that my improved board is made up of a pluraiity of sections which l will term an outer or main section, an inner or supplemental 105 top section and a locking section. These several sections are built up of a plurality of layers of suitable material, preferably fiber board, adhesively secured together'.

l will first describe the outer or main sec- 110 layers for tion and the manner in which itis fabricated. In Fig. 5 I have shown a sheet or layer comprising a base proper 1. One `face of this layer 1 may be nished in any desired manner, as by applying thereto a sheet containing a game, and the other face has secured thereto a layer Jfashioned with an opening in the center, as shown in Fig. 6, which constitutes a liller 2. As many of these fillers as desired may be added, but in the present instance, I have employed two. A portion of the abutting faces ot each oi" these iillers is cut away tok form an opening 3 'extending from rthe inner to the outer edges thereof, the purpose ot which will be hereinafter brought out. In Fig. 7 I have shown another layer t fashioned like the fillers shown in Fig. 6 with the exception that the diameter oit' the opening therein is smaller than the diameter ot the opening in the iillers, so that when this layer is secured to the topmost iller 2 a groove will be formed between the basel and the layer t which terms the top member tor the outer section.

The outer section thus fabricated comprises an uninterrupted base 1, an open top l with a groove between said parts, and an opening extending Yfrom the groove to the ,outer edge of the section, said outer section forming a sort or container adapted to receive other sections and a plurality ot movable buttons.

Tiitcitenring now to the inner supplemental top section, in 8 I have shown a laye .n1

5 having the :torni et a segment of a entre and which comprises the upper member ot this section, one 'face ot which may be iii.- ished in any desired manner to 'term the exposed surface constituting a part of the top oit the completed article. To the other face I secure one or more iillers 6, fashioned as shown in Fig. 9, the number ot fillers in this instance depending upon the number used in making up the outer section, so that when this inner section is placed on the upper tace o1 the base 1 its top surface will be in the same plane as the top 4l of the outer section. rShe lillers 6 have cut out portions 'i' to lighten the con pleted. article. It will also be seen that these iillers are slightly smaller' than the portions 5 to leave a space between their outer edges so that a passageway may be formed between the inner and outer sections.

The locking section is made up of the same number or" layers as the inner supplemental section, in the present instance, an upper layer 8, fashioned as shown in Fig. 10, and two fillers 9, fashioned as show. in Fig. 11.

After the sections have been thus fabricated the inner supplemental top section and the outer or main section are assembled by securing the outer filler 6 to the base, leaving a space between the topmembers 4 and 5 to form a passageway, to accommodate the shank of a movable button 10, such as shown in Fig. 4, the space between the fillers 2 and 6 adapted to receive a head ot such button, a plurality of which are used inthe use of the device. These sections thus assembled are then immersed in a suitable hardening solution contained in a vessel 11. as shown in Fig. 12.

Upon moving the assembled sections from the solution some of it will remain in the groove formed in the outer section and this would render the board incapable of use as an educational board in which the movable buttons 10 are utilized. Therefore, to remove the solution before it hardens rom` the groove the opening 3 has'been provided, which leads from said groove to the outer edge of the board and permits the surplus solution to drain out. This solution after it dries not only hardens the exposed surface of the sections but impart-s to them the appearance of Wood.

After the solution has suiciently hardened a plurality of the buttons 10 are placed in the passageway 12 formed between the,

inner and outer sections. vThe locking sec tion is then inserted and its filler 9 secured to the base of the outer` section. This lockeral or storage passageway 12, which is.

continued aroundv the curved edge oi' the locking section. In the use of th device, as when it is desired to spell a word, the

buttons having the desired letters are moved from the storage passageway 12 to the working passageway 13 in the proper order.

rThe passageways for 'the heads of the buttons must be larger than the passageways for the Shanks, That part of the storage passageway for the heads is formed by the inner periphery 2a of the fillers 2 andthe outer curved edges 6a and 9a of the lillers 6 and 9, respectively, while that part of the transverse or working passageway for the heads is formed by the straightv edges 61? of the fillers 6 andthe straight edges 9b of the fillers 9.

That part of the storage passageway for the Shanks of the buttons is formed by the inner periphery 4 of the top l and the outer curved edges 52L and 8EL of the fillers 5 and 8, respectively, while that part o'l the transverse or working passageway for the heads is formed by the straight edges 5b of the top 5 and the straight edge 81 ot the top 8 of thelocking section.

It will be seen that my method consists;

in cutting or stamping fiber board of the desired shape and size for fabricating an outer or main section which forms the general base of the completed article and a sort of container for the other sections comprised in the article and also in providing an opening in said section extending from the outer edge to the inner edge; in likewise cutting' or stamping fiber board of the desired shape and size for fabricating the inner section which forms a part of the top of the completed article and cooperates with the outer section to form a passageway for a plurality of movable buttons; in likewise cutting or stamping fiber board of the desired shape and size for fabricating the locking section which cooperates with theouter and inner sections to form additional passageways and retains the buttons in said passageways; in assembling the outer and inner sections and immersingl them in a hardening solution; in draining any surplus hardening solution from said assembled seotions; and in uniting the locking section with the sect-ions thus assembled, after the desired number of buttons have been inserted.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a combined educational and game board which may be made up of a plurality of sheets or layers which will have all the advantages of such boards made of wood as to appearance and durability and none of the disadvantages of Wood, such as warpings etc. It will further be observed that the board thus built up will be light in weight and inexpensive to produce.

It will be understood that I desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications as may be necessary to adapt it to varying conditions and uses.

I-Iaving thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an article of the character described, a plurality of sections, each of said sections composed of superimposed fashioned layers or thicknesses, said sections having spaces therebetween to form communicating passageways for a plurality of buttons, and one of said sections having an opening extending from said passageways to the outer edge of saidysection.

2. In an article of the character described, an outer section, an inner section and a locking section, each of said sections composed of superimposed vfashioned layers or thicknesses, said sections having spaces therebetween to form communicating passageways for a plurality of buttons, said outer section having an opening communicating with said passageways and leading to the outer edge of said section to form a drain for a hardening solution in which the sections are immersed.

8. The herein described method of making a combined educational and game board consisting of fashioning a plurality of outer members and a plurality of intermediate members; uniting the-se outer and intermediate members into a plurality of sections; assembling some of said united sections so as to forln a passageway therebetween, immersing said assembled sections in a hardening solution; and draining surplus solution from said assembled sections.

4. The herein described method of making a combined educational and game board consisting of fashioning a plurality of outer members and a plurality of intermediate members; uniting these outer and intermediate members into a plurality of sections; assembling some of said united sections so as to form a passageway therebetween, immersing said assembled sections in a hardening solution; draining surplus solution from said assembled sections, and positioning another of said united sections with respect to the assembled sections to lock a plurality of buttons in the passageways formed between the several united sections.

5. The herein described method of making a combined educational and game board consisting of fashioning a plurality of outer members and a plurality of intermediate members; uniting these outer and intermediate members into a plurality of sections; providing an opening in one of said sections extending from its outer edge to its inner edge; assembling this section with another united section so as to form a passageway therebetween; immersing said assembled sections in a hardening solution; and draining the solution from said passageway through said opening.

6. The herein described method of making a combined educational and game board consisting of fashioning a plurality of outer members and a plurality of intermediate members; uniting these outer and intermediate members into a plurality of sections; providing an opening in one of said sections extending from its outer edge to its inner edge; assembling this section with another united section so as to form a passageway therebetween; immersing said assembled sections in a hardening solution; draining the solution from said passageway through said opening; and positioning another of said united sections with respect to the treated assembled sections to lock a plurality of buttons in the passageways formed between the several sections.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature I-IORATIO G. CREES 

